Ribbon mechanism for type-writing machines.



0. G. KAVLE. RIBBON MECHANISM FOR TYPE WRITING MACHINES.

. APPLICATION FILED NOV. l7, 1909. 1,065,531

3 sums-sum 1.

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Patent ed June 24,1913.

0. G. KAVLE.

RIBBON MECHANISM FOR TYPE WRITING MACHINES.

APPLIGATION FILED NOV. 17, 1909 Patented June 24, 1913.

3 SHBBTS'SHEET 2v M5 fM Ma i/w;

0. G. KAVLE.

RIBBON MECHANISM FOR TYPE WRITING MACHINES.

LPPLIOATIOH EILED HOV.17, 1909.

Patented June 24, 1913.

life/22 .fys.

UNITED STA iES;

PATENT OFFICE.

OSCAR C. KAVLE, Oils SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO HARVEY AVMOYER, .QF

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK.

RfBBOJiIJYIECHANISM FOR TYPE'XVRITING MACHINES.

Application filed November 17, 1909.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 24., 1913.

SeriaLNo. 528,574.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that 1,. Oscar: Kavma, av cit-izen of the United States, residing at Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga and State of New] York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Ribbon Mechareversing mechanisms for typewriting machines.

One object of the inventionlis to produce an etiicient, practical and reliable mechanism for auttm'ratically reversing the feed of ribbon, which will act instantly at the proper tune, but flll llfit be'liable to accidental actuation.

Other objects of the invention are to produce aribbon feeding and reversing mechanism actuated by the carriage driving power, whichwequires but litt'le'power for its operatic-11; also to so construct the ribbon feeding mechanism that/it will be noiseless in operation and can be. manufactured at a small cost; and also to improve ribbon feeding and feed reversing mechanisms in tlnL respects hereinafterdescribedand set -forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, consisting of three sheets: Figure 1 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional elevation of a typewrjting macliine provided .with ribbon operating mechanism"embodying the invention.

Fig. .2 is a sectional elevation thereof in line 2- 2, Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a plan view thereof, partly in horizontal secti0n,'or ni.t-ting the top plate and ribbon-spools. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary broken plan view thereof, showing a diflerent position of the parts.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the several figure-s.

A represents flit top plate of the frame of a flOlli-Silllfl typewriting niaehine; B- the platen carriage; C the spring or poweropcrated drum which is connected to the carriage by means (not shown) for causing the carriage to moye to the left in the usual manner; D the ink ribbon which passes through a vibrating guide (not shown) adjacentto" the printing point of the platen, and has its ends attached to spools E and E whiehare preferably situated in the usual locatioinatr the opposite sides of the front portion of the machine, and are at tached to the upper ends of uprightsl afts e and e joiirnaled in bearings on the, top plate. These parts may be ofany usual or suitable construction.

The mechanism for operatingt-hespools to feed the ribbon lengthwise is'preferably constructed as follows:

lever arranged beneath the rearjportion of F represents a feed the top plate A and suitably pivoted be tween its ends thereto at f to sw ng horizontally. The opposite ends'o'fthe feedlever are connected by links 1 g to pawl levers G G, respectively,-whichare loosely journaled on the lower ends of the spool shafts c o and carry feed'pa'wls and g provided with hidden springs which .tcnd-tohold the pawls in engagement with ratchet wheels. g fixed to the spool shafts, g, and g represent holding dogs whichare preferably pivoted by screws on the lower vends of studs {1" screwed to and depending from the 'top' plate, and which are pressed toward the ratchet wheels by suitable springs secured to depending lugs on-t'he topplate for holding the ratchet whcelsand spools'from lmrkward rotation. The teeth offtlie' tworatchet wheels are preferably pitched in opposite directions, and one of-the awllevers, for instance, G, fulcrui'ned etwe'en its ends and the pawl and operatinglink are connected to the opposite'ends thereo'flwliile the other pawl lever, (i', has its pawl and operating link connectedthereto atthe same side of its fulcrum so that-the two spools will be turned in opposite directions by the oscillation of the feed lever F; Both pawl levers a re oscillated .by the movements of the feed lever F, but the feed'pawl and holding dog "for-*onespool' are held out of action whenthe pawl and dcgfor the other spool are in action, by reversing mechanism hereinafter described, so that when thc' ribbon is being wound on one spool the'other ind T100 It represents a cam drivenby the carspool is'left. free for the ribbon to un therefrom.

riagc'driving spring drum C'for operating the feed lever F. connected to thedrum by a ratchet "whtu'igi h and pawl h. or ('illCl' clutch device, which causes the rain to rotate with the drum" in one direction but permits the drum to rot in the opposite dii'rction indcpende'ntlffof The cam is 'preferablv the cam. The cam has an annular series of projections, each having an inclined 01 dam i 4 i i i i face and an abrupt face. A ylelding or spring 'fii'iger I on the feed-lever is caused to bear against the face of the cam below'its 1 spring finger I rides up on one inclined face of the cam andgradually swings the feed lever F in one direction until the pealcof;

this cam face, clears the end oft-he spring lever, whenthe spr'ingiwill instantly swing the lever in .the opposite direction and return. the spring-finger I to the baseof the next inclined faceof the cam. Thus the feed pawl which is in' action is gradually advanced toft-urn its-spool, then quickly re- Y tracted to, take newihold. and its advance -movement immediately commenced again, so

that a slight forward movement of the ribbon is made with' each letter space, move ment of the carriage; The cam can be made with any, desired number, one or more, of

the inclined faces or sections, but a plurality -01? such faces is preferable to a single taco The ribbon feed mechanism above deextending" around the-cam.

scribed is substantially like-that disclosed .in

my pending application,v Serial No. 445,983,

filed July 29, L909,jwith, however, the following importantdiifereuce': Instead of the slip joints and springsconnecting the links fg and g to thefeedlever F, employed in the former mechanism, the links have ordinary pivotal I connections with the ends of the I lever and the. yielding or spring finger I is used, which-provides yielding connection between the driving cam and the spools. This spring finger normally acts as arigid part of thelever, .but in the event that the ribbon feed is obstructed the finger, can yield and permit the cam faces to pass it'without injury to the ribbon. The single spring fingerperforms the same function as the two springs and slip joints in the former construction and, in addition, has two other functions; It absorbs the slight-shock when the feed lever snaps back fromone camface to another and practically eliminates the noise incident theret o.{..This noise -was b arely discernible with the rigid projection v on the leverfor merly us ed, and by the pres-- ent construction there .is no] perceptible noise. Secondly, as the-spring'finger'I drops'from the peak'of one cam face to the base of the next, the moment-um of the lever. F slightly compresses the spring finger and causes the feed pawls g and g to move the proper engagement of each: pawl with the last tooth within its range of movement and .illlif; preventing the lost motion that sometimes happens when a feed lever haw mg a rigid pro cct1on engaging the cam is employed.

r The motion of the feed lever Factuated as described could be transmitted to the rib- -bon spools by ratchet and pawl or clutch devices of different construction from those described.

The mechanism for reversing the feed of the ribbon is preferably constructed as follows: K K represent two oppositely ar-' ranged r'eversinglevers' which are fulcrumed on pivots k dependin trom'the top plate A and have rearwar l -projectiiig' eurved arms located under the ratchet Iwheels fg" in position to engage the feed pawls g and g to move them out,o fengagement*with the iratchet wheels, and forwardly-projecting arms connected by a horizontal'barflqfzlo cated under the .frontfportion'ot theut o'p platen These reversing levers are preferably made of sheet metal arms eonn'ected by'a hub, and the curved'arms of the levers have upturned projections, Icadapted toengage inclined faces at thefree ends, of the holding dogs 9 and 9 see Fi 3, for moying the dogs out of engagemen with the ratchet wheels.

L and L represent latches provided withshoulders adapted to engage the 'rear'endso'f the reversing, levers KandKtor holding the levers in the position in which they hold i thefeed pawlsand holdingjdogs out of action, as shownxat theleft Zin' Fig-3J The latches are preferably pivoted on the same screws as the holding dogs gand g9 an daire pressed toward -the reversinglevers by suit: able springs Z.' 'The springs g jan'd'l for each holding dog-and .its companion latch are conveniently madefrom a single'jpiece ofspring, metal' by slitting' 'it forthe'jgreater portion of its. lengthito form two in'depend entlv acting springpor-ti'ons up p; v

M and N represent two oppositely arranged ribbon guide or latch releasinglevers which are preferably fulcrumed on the up-- per ends of the screivstuds g to which the holding dogsg and g a-rexpivoted. .The guide levers are. provided with upwardly projecting free ends havingfguide'slots'for the ribbon, and with depending-trippins'm and n which are'ada pted to strikeand trip the latches Land L to release the reversing levers. The reversing levers and guide lever for each'spool are connecteduby a spring 0,- conveniently attached to studs depending from said levers, which tends to 'drawv the two levers toward the axis of the spool and hold the guide level inthe normal position shownin Fig. 3. The ribbon, isprovided near its ends with reversingobstructions or projections P, one of which is shown in Fi s9 and 3. These rcversin .oroections D I shown in Fig. 3 to that shown at the left in Fig. 4.

The operation of the reversing mechanism is as follows: In the position of the parts shown in Fig. 3. the teed pawl and holding dog for the right-hand spool are in action, and the ribbon is being wound upon the right-hand spool, the pawl and dog for the left-hand spool being held out of en gagement With their ratchet wheel by the reversing lever K so that the left-hand spool is left free for the ribbon to unwind therefrom. The reversing lever for the unwinding spool K is retained in the position shown, against the pull of the spring 0, by the latch L, while the other reversing lever K is held out of engagement with the pawl and dog of the winding spool by its spring 0, and the two guide levers M ahd N are held in the normal position shown, by the springs O. The ribbon is nearly exhausted .from the left-hand spool. As the feed of the ribbon continues, the reversing projection P at the left-hand end of the ribbon will engage the adjacent guide lever M and slowly swing the lever round until its trip pin m trips the latch Il and releasesthe reversing lever K, as shown at the left in Fig. 4. W hen the reversing lever K is released its spring 0 acts instantly to swing the lever inwardly so as to free the feed pawl and holding dog for the left-hand spool and permit these to act on their ratchet wheel. The motion of the reversing lever K is trans mitted by the bar is to the other reversing,

lever K and this lever forces the pawl and dog for the right-hand spool out of engagement with their ratchet wheel, as shown at the right in Fig. 4. The ribbon is then wound from the right-hand spool onto the left-hand spool. so that the feed of the ribbon is reversed. The reversing lever K will be held in position to retain the righthand pawl and (l g out of action by its latch L until the ribbon is exhausted from the right-hand spool and the reversing projection P at the right-h; id end of the ribbon engages the adjacent guide lever N and moves this lever to cause the feed of the ribbon to be again reversed in a manner similar to that just described, but by the action of the spring 0 for the right-hand reversing lever. The springs O normally exert but very little pull on the reversing and guide levers and. in fact, they can be arranged so as not to exert any pull on the levers when the levers are in lllElI normal inward positions. but the springs should exert a slight pull as soon-as the guide levers begin to swing under the actiolr of the reversing projections on the ribbon. It is important that the springs be extended and their tension increased by the movement of the guide levers, as the proper action of the mechanism depends upon the change in tension of these springs. This change in tension of the springs O is produced alternately, or only when one of the spools is nearly exhausted so that the reversing projection at that end of the ribbon can act on the guide lever, and consequently both springs can not be extended at the same time in the ordinary operation of the machine.

Another important feature of the described construction is that the reversing projection P on the ribbon holds the guide lever at one spool in position to hold its spring 0 extended until after the reverse has been completed and the reversing lever for the other spool has been latched in its pawl and dog releasing position, and then with the retreat of the reversing projection the guide lever is drawn back to its normal position, or practically so, by its spring 0. The feed of the ribbon cannot be reversed except by the movement of the guide lever at the unwinding spool, and the ribbon cannot therefore be accidentally reversed between the ends of its run. Unusual tension en the ribbon from any cause will not reverse the ribbon feed, but in case of such unusual tension the spring finger I, of the feed lever will yield and allow the cam to pass, as before explained, and thus avoid tearing the ribbon. The ribbon feed can be reversed at any part of its run by moving the guide lever at the unwinding spool by hand.

Most of the parts of the ribbon mechanism described are made of sheet metal stampings. The reversing levers K K are made from like stampings by bending the dog-operated lugs thereof in opposite directions. The guide levers M and N are also made from like stamp'lngs by bending the slotted guide portions in opposite directions. The feed pawls g holding dogs g g). latches L'and L, and links 9 and are all interchangeable. The wholemechanism can be made at a comparatively small cost: the entire mechanism is connected to and supported by the top plate A. which makes it inexpensive to assemble: and the holding dogs and latches, together with the guide levers, are mounted on the same pivot studs, all of which tends to eccnomy in manufacture.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a typcwriting machine. the (t nibination of a ribbon. horizontally rotating spools therefor, horizontally moving driving connections for each spool, a spring actuated reversing lever fcr rach spcol which is arranged to swing hoiirccntally adjacent to the spool and which in one position prevents the operation of the spool by the driving connections. a latch for holding each reversing lever against movement by the actuating spring, and a ribbon guide lever for each spool which is actuatd by thgaribbon when the ribbon is nearly exhausted from said spool to release the reversing lever forsaid spool from its latch, substantially as set forth.

2. In a t VPQWIltHig machine, the combinaswing horizontall adjacent to the ratchet wheel for said spool andwhich in one position holds the companion pawl out of driving relation to the ratchet wheel, a latch for holding each reversing lever against movement by the actuating spring, and means which operate when the ribbon is nearly exhausted from one spool to rel aise the reversing lever for said spool from its latch, substantially as set forth.

3. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a ribbon, spools for the ribbon, driving connections for each spool, a reversing lever for each spool, which in one of its positions prevents the operation of its spool by the driving connections thereof, a latch for holding each reversing lever in the position mentioned, a ribbon-actuated lever for each spool which releases the reversing lever from its latch, and a spring whichconnects the reversing and ribboiractuated levers of each spool and moves the reversing levers to reverse the feed of the. ribbon, when said reversing lever is released from its latch, substantially as set forth.

4. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a ribbon, spools for the'ribbon, driving connections for each spool, a reversing lever for ach spool, which in one of its positions prevents the operation of its spool by the driving connections thereof, a latch for holding each reversing lever in the position mentioned, a ribbon guide lever for each spool, a spring which connects the reversing and ribbon guide levers for each spool and moves the reversing lovers to reverse the feed of the ribbon when said reversing lever is released from its latch, and means connected to the ribbon for actuating the guide lever adjacent to one spcol for tripping the latch for the adjacent reversing lever when the ribbon is nearly exhausted from said spool, substantially as set forth.

In a typewriting machine, the combination of a ribbon, spools for the ribbon, driving connections for .ach spool, a pair of levers for each spool connected by a spring, a latch for holding one of said levers in positirn to prevent the operation of one spool by its drive connections, means for moving the other lever to release the first lever from said latch when the ribbon is nearly eX- hausted from said spool, and connections between the lan-h controlled levers of the spools whereby when one lever is unlatchcd the other lcver is latched -and the feed of the ribbon is reversed, substantially as set forth.

(3. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a ribbon, spools for the ribbon, driving connections for each spool, connected reversing levers for the spools, which in one of its positions prevents the operation of its spool by tlie driving connections thereof, ribbon guide levers, a feed reversing spring connecting each guide lever to the companion reversing lever, an automatic latch for each reversing lever, and a reversing device on each end of the ribbon which actuates the adjacent guide lever to trip the latch when the ribbon is exhausted from the unwinding spool, substantially as set forth.

7. In a typewriting machine, the combina tion of a ribbon, spools for the ribbon, driving connections for each spool-,-a reversing lever for each spool, which in one of its positions prevents the operation of its spool by the driving connections thereof, a latch for holding each reversing lever in the position mentioned, a ribbon-actuated lever for each spool which releases thereversing lever from its latch, and a spring Which acts when the reversing lever is released to first move the reversing levers to reverse the feed of the ribbon and then restore the ribbonactuated lever to the normal position, substantially as setferth. i

8. In a typewriting machine, the combina tion of a ribbon, spools for the ribbon, driv ing connections for each spool, a reversing lever for each spool, which in one of its positions prevents the operation of its spool by the driving connections thereof, a latch for holding each re ersing lever in the position mentioned, a ribbon-actuated lever for 'each spool which releases the reversing lever from its latch, and a spring which connects the reversing and ribbon-actuated levers of each spool and is placed under tension by the movement of the ribbon-actuated lever and moves the reversing levers to reverse the feed of the ribbon when said reversing lever is released froin'its latch. substantially as set. forth. 4

9. In a typewritin; machine, the combination of a ribbon, spools for the ribbon, driving'ecnnections for each spool, connected reversing levers which normally prevent the rotation of one spool by its driving connections and allow the rotation of the other spool. latches which act; alternately to hold the reversing levers from action, a lever for each spool which is actuated to release the companion reversing lever from its latch when the ribbon is nearly exhausted from said spool, and springs each of which connects the reversing lever and the automatically acting lever for one spool and which act alternately to move the reversing levers for reversing the feed of the ribbon, substantially as set forth.

10. In a typevvriting machine, the combination of a ribbon, spools for the ribbon, driving connections for each spool. reversing levers which normally prevent the rotati n of one spool by its driving connections and allow the rotation of the other spool, a top plate for the machine, a connecting bar for the reversing leverslocated under the front portion of the top plate, and means actuated automatically by the ribbon to ,swing said reversing levers and connecting bar alternately in opposite directions for reversing the feed of the ribbon, substantially as set forth.

11'. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a ribbon, a pair of ribbon spools arranged on substantially vertical axes, a pair of spw l-driving clutches, driving means for said clutches, a pair of reversing levers for alternately holding said clutches out of action, a pair of latches for said reversing levers, a pair of ribbon guide levers which act to trip said latches to alternately release the reversing levers, and a pair ofsprings connecting the revers ng levers to the guide levers, all of said parts except the clutchdriving means being located substantially under the spools, substantially as set forth.

15?. In a typewriting machine. the combination of a ribbon, a pair of ribbon spools, a pair of spool-driving clutches, driving means for said clutches, a pair of reversing levers for alternately holding said clutches out of action, a pair of latches for said reversing levers, a pair of ribbon guide levers for tripping said latches, and springs for operating said reversing levers, said reversing levers, latches. and guide levers all having pivotal axes substantially parallel with the axes of the spools, substantially as set forth.

13. In a lypewriting machine. the combination of a top plat", a pair of ribbon spools mounted orthe front portion of the top plate. clutclrdriving mean top plate, and means for re ersing the feed of the ribbon, coni 'irising a pair of spooldriving clutches, reversing lovers, latches tor the reversing levers. ribbt n guide levers,

i t -nncctin bar for the reversing levers tnged Hm tt' the topate and moving Aides suhstantiall pasnllel tla-i'twvith.

his; all

substantially as set forth I 14. In a typewriling machine. the condonation cf a ribbon, spools for tln; 1'35 ion,

driving connections for each spool. conneci- -cd reversing levers which normally the rotation of :me spool by its 'lr xing con 1 a pair of ribbon spools, and driving connecnections and allow the rotation of the other spool, latches "which act alternately to hold a lever, substantially as set forth.

the reversing levers from action, a latch-re leasing lever for each spool, a spring connecting the reversing and latchavh mounted on the e ert I i shock of the sudden stopping of the lever,

levers of each spool, and a device near each end of the ribbon which acts on the adjacent ,latch releasing lever to first. increase the tension of one spring enough to overcome the resistance of the other spring and then to trip the latch and permit the spring with the increased tension to shift the reversing levers for reversing the feed of the ribbon, substantially as set forth.

15. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a ribbon, spools for the ribbon, driving connections for each spool, connected reversing levers which normally prevent. the rotation of one spool by its driving connections and allow the'rotation of the other spool, two reversing springs, means for normally holding the. reversing levers from being-actuated by said springs, and means actuated by the ribbon for straining said springs alternately and releasing the reversing levers to permit the actuation thereof by the spring Which is strained, substantially as set forth.

16. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a driving motor, ribbon spools, ratchet and pawl connections between the motor and each of the spools, a holding dog for each spool ratchet, a reversing lever for holding the pawl and dog for each spool out of engagement with the ratchet, a latch for each reversing lever, ribbon guide levers for tripping the latches, and a single stud or part for supporting said holding dog, latch, and guide lever for each spool, substantially as set forth.

17. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a rotary cam, a lever pivoted intermediate its ends and having a part which is adapted to yield, means for holding said' 18. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a rotary cam. a lever pivoted intermediate its ends and having a spring finger which is adapted to yield, a spring for holding said spring finger against the cam, a pair of ribbon spools, a clutch for each spool. and links connecting said clutches to the, ends of said lever, substantially as set forth.

it). In a typewriting machine, the combiiation of a rotary "am having a series of nclined cam faces each terminating in an abrupt face. a pivoted lever having a part which rides over the inclined faces of the can: and drops from one to the other of said ta -cs, said part being elastic to absorb the tions between the spools and the pivoted 2a. In a typewriting machine. the combiinclined eam fares each terminating in an abrupt face, a lever pivoted between its ends. a pair of ribbon spools, ratchet and pawl connections between said ribbon spools and said lover, a part on said lever, and means for holding said part yieldingly against the inelined faces of the cam and for causing it to drop from one to the other of said faces, said part being elastic to permit the pawls to swing farther in one direviion than the cams move them in the other direction, substantially as set forth.

21. In a typewriting marhine, the eonibination of a rotary cam, a lever pivoted be tween its ends, a pair of ribbon spools, driv- 1 ing connections between the ends of said lever and said spools, a yieldable part on said lever, and means for holding said yieldable part yieldingly against said (ram, said yieldable part being adapted to yield and permit the rotation of the cam without operating the lever in the ease of an abnormal strain on the ribbon, substantially as set forth.

\Vitness my hand, this 11th day of November, 1909.

O SCAR (l KAVLE.

\l'itnesses I Onns'rnn \V. .REID,

OTTO A. bcnILLr.

C0 ies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. C." 

